The surprisingly simple reason teams fail Tessa West

In 1999, a NASA mission to Mars failed ... not from a technical glitch, but because people weren't talking to each other. Psychology professor Tessa West explores how assumptions, overlooked details and "hidden languages" can quietly sabotage even the smartest teams — and explores the small shifts in communication that can make a big difference in how information lands. After the talk, Modupe urges you to be brave and ask for clarification and how it can help you feel more empowered in the workplace. Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The surprisingly simple reason teams fail Tessa West is an episode from TEDTalks Business by TED.

This episode is 18:58 long.

This episode was published on Feb 9, 2026.

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